


Tangerine trees and marmalade skies

by yogurtpo3



Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Child Abuse, Child Experimentation, DGHDA Beginner Bang 2019, Developing Friendships, Electrocution, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Life Partners, Pararibulitis (Dirk Gently), Priest is His Own Warning, Project Blackwing (Dirk Gently)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 05:05:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18958459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yogurtpo3/pseuds/yogurtpo3
Summary: Svlad Cjelli has always wanted a friend, so when Mr Riggins introduces him to Todd and Amanda Brotzman, Black Wing’s two newest recruits, he’s determined to make it work. Except Todd doesn’t like to talk much, Svlad seems to keep saying all the wrong things, and Todd keeps insisting that he isn’t going to be Svlad’s assistant.





	1. 1995

**Author's Note:**

> Whee, my submission for DGHDA Beginner Bang 2019! Thanks muchly to our amazing mod, Hellz, for organising everything so amazingly. Somehow my "I'll just come in as a pinch hitter and write a little something with this idea I have been playing with" turned into these 15,000 or so words - crazy! 
> 
> Also, many thanks to my AMAZING talented partner, kariw, who has drawn the MOST adorable art for this fic! Seriously, they are super talented! You can check it out below! :D
> 
> Last but not least, thanks to my wonderful and super enthusiastic beta, intricatecakes, who not only cleaned up my grammars, but also gave me much cheering and motivation to get this over the line.

Eleven-year-old Todd Brotzman glanced warily at the man before him, carefully pulling Amanda closer into his arms. The man, Mr Priest as he had introduced himself, smiled coldly as he ran his eyes over them.

“So, these are the Brotzman children?” asked another man in the room, a friendlier looking man than Mr Priest, but Todd wasn’t about to trust anybody part of whatever had taken him and Amanda into the black truck and dragged them now to this all too bright white lit room.

“Yes, feisty small things. We’re going to have such fun,” Mr Priest replied, and Todd couldn’t help but gulp nervously at the amusement in his eyes. The other man glanced down at a file in his hand.

“Have they shown any signs of their… familial condition?”

Mr Priest giggled, causing Todd to shiver. 

“No, Sir. They haven’t yet.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small bottle of pills. Todd’s heart sped up a fraction at the object. “I did find these on the older one, though.”

“You give those back to Todd. They’re his medicine,” Amanda suddenly scolded, pulling away from Todd to glare as fiercely at Mr Priest as her nearly five years old self could muster. Mr Priest grinned, taking a step towards her. 

“Is that so, young female. I wonder… what would happen if he doesn’t get to take his medicine.”

Amanda gasped, and Todd quickly pulled her back before she could provoke the man further. 

“It’s okay, Amanda,” he gently reassured her.

“But…,” she whimpered back at him, tears threatening the corners of her eyes. Mr Priest laughed.

“What’s the order, Sir?” he asked, turning to the other man. 

“Let them sleep, bring them to baseline tomorrow at 0900.”

“And these?” asked Mr Priest, swinging the bottle of pills between his fingers. The other man paused, before crouching down to face Todd. 

“How many do you need?” 

Todd blinked, a flood of relief he didn’t even know he was holding back washing over him. 

“Two, every four hours.”

The man nodded, standing back up. 

“Give him four pills for tonight. He shouldn’t need to suffer any more than we need him to.”

  
  


“Svlad, this is Todd, and his sister, Amanda,” introduced Mr Riggins. Svlad glanced curiously at the boy and girl seated at the table in the centre of the room. He liked meeting new people, and Mr Riggins had said he would be allowed to meet more people if he did well and cooperated during his tests. Svlad guessed he must’ve done well today, because Mr Riggins had brought him here straight after, claiming it a “treat”.

“Hiii,” he greeted, smiling and taking the other seat opposite the table. “I’m Svlad.” He reached out his hand, as his mother had taught him it was the polite thing to do when meeting new people.

The boy, Todd, stared at Svlad’s outstretched hand, unmoving. His wide blue eyes studied him, protectively pulling his sister closer. The sister ignored her brother’s caution though, and reached across the table to clasp Svlad’s offered hand.

“Hi, Svlad,” the little girl greeted back, grinning.

“Svlad, you have thirty minutes,” Mr Riggins told him. Svlad nodded in response, watching Mr Riggins leave through the sliding door. He usually got thirty minutes with Project Moloch, and that was enough time to fill Project Moloch in on everything he needed to say. Granted, Project Moloch was a fantastic listener and never interrupted him. He wondered if Todd and Amanda were going to be good listeners, though Svlad wouldn’t mind if they weren’t. In fact, he would like it very much if they actually said something back. 

“Amanda, come here,” said Todd, tugging his sister back to his side. Svlad watched carefully as Todd pulled the tin of coloured pencils on the desk, and some paper towards his sister. Gently, he helped her adjust her chair so she was seated closer to the table, then chose a red pencil for her. 

“I want black,” Amanda protested at once. 

“Why black? You always want black,” Todd retorted, frowning. Amanda pouted.

“Because black is punk. I want black,” she answered determinedly. 

“What would you know about being punk anyway?” Todd sighed, but handed the black pencil to her, watching her start to mark the paper in broad strokes. 

“I think black is a fantastic colour,” Svlad remarked, smiling at her. Todd frowned at the interruption, glancing warily at him.

“I’m Svlad,” Svlad tried again, though this time he kept his hand to himself. “So you’re Todd, and she’s Amanda,” he remarked, causing Todd’s frown to turn into a scowl.  _ Project Moloch sure seems a lot friendlier than Todd,  _ thought Svlad. But at least Todd spoke, and Amanda seemed to like him. So he definitely enjoyed being with Todd more than with Project Moloch, as nice as Project Moloch was. 

“Can we be friends, Todd? I’ve always wanted a friend… or an assistant,” Svlad started again, grinning as nicely as he could for the boy in front of him. “I’m really good at solving mysteries. I solved lots of cases before I came here. There aren’t a lot of cases to solve here, but I’m sure we’ll find some. And I will need an assistant for that. All great detectives have assistants, and you look like you would make a good one.”

Svlad glanced at Todd, feeling his heart beating in anticipation for a response. Todd slowly stopped scowling, though he didn’t smile, his eyes casting a sad faraway look behind Svlad instead. 

“I don’t think I can make a very good assistant, Svlad. You should find someone else.”

  
  


Two days later, Svlad got to see Todd and Amanda again. So their first meeting hadn’t exactly gone the way Svlad imagined meeting one’s best friend would go — and yes, he had decided that Todd was his best friend now, even if Todd didn’t think Svlad was his. Todd didn’t even really talk to him after telling him to find a different assistant. Though he did eventually let Svlad tell him all about how he found Mrs Sartakova’s cat, so that was something. This friend thing was harder than he thought.

“Todd, what can you do?” ask Svlad once Mr Riggins had left them alone. Todd looked up from watching Amanda draw what looked like four stick figures holding baseball bats. 

“Do?” he asked, somewhat surprising Svlad that he even answered. 

“Yes. Mr Riggins says we’re special, that’s why he brought us here to help us. I solve mysteries and see patterns, and Mona is an amazing actress, though it does make it hard to find her a lot of the time. Moloch… well… he seems to just sleep, but he’s a great sleeper and listener, and probably a good dreamer, too. Oh, and there’s this girl called Bart, she can open any door, it doesn’t matter if it’s locked or not. I think she does something else too, but I’m not sure. So, what makes you special? And Amanda too?”

“We…” Todd hesitated, taking a quick glance at her sister who was staring at him curiously now. “We’re not special.”

“But you must be, or else they wouldn’t have brought you here to Black Wing. What do they make you do in the tests? Not that I’m very good at the tests. I don’t think they quite know exactly what I do yet… well, neither do I actually. Though I am very good at finding things, and being where I need to be... and connecting things. I get connective hunches about the fabric of the universe, though Mr Priest says that's just gobbledegook.”

Svlad gulped, thinking maybe he said something wrong when Todd seemed to go three shades paler at the mention of tests and Mr Priest. Maybe mentioning the tests weren’t a good idea. In fact, now that he considered it, it was a  _ terrible  _ idea. His own tests were almost always  _ awful _ . And Mr Priest? He unconsciously shuddered. What had he been thinking? 

“Nothing,” Todd finally responded, glancing nervously at Amanda. “We’re not special,” he repeated.

Svlad nodded, quickly dropping the subject. 

“Want to hear about the time I solved the mystery of why Mrs Dalca’s blueberries all turned green?”

  
  


Amanda greeted Svlad as soon as he walked in the next time he was bought to see them.

“It’s my birthday!” she cheered, running up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. “Todd counted the days and said it was. Todd said I can have a party. We’re making balloons!”

Svlad looked up to see Todd seated at the table, a pencil in his hand colouring a picture of a balloon in black.

“That sounds fabulous, Amanda!” Svlad responded, smiling at the little girl.

“I’m five years old today. How old are you?” she asked, wide brown eyes looking up at him.

“I’m... twelve,” he responded, pausing to calculate if he had had his birthday yet. He forgot the dates sometimes here at Black Wing. He was glad Todd was able to keep count for Amanda to know her birthday, though he supposed Todd and Amanda hadn’t been at Black Wing for very long. Todd glanced up at him, eyebrows scrunched at his words. Svlad bit his lip, wondering if he had said something wrong again. 

“Umm…” he cleared his throat nervously. “How old are you, Todd?” 

“Todd’s eleven,” Amanda answered for her brother before he could react. “His birthday is in November. Come on, help us make balloons too, Svlad!” She grasped his hand and dragged him to the table. Svlad smiled, looking at the various pictures of balloons Todd and Amanda had already drawn, mostly black, though there were a few red and blue ones as well. 

“What colour do you want?” asked Amanda, shifting the pencil tin towards him. 

“How come he gets to choose a colour?” interrupted Todd. Svlad quickly put down his hand that had been reaching towards out towards the pencils. 

“Because I said so,” scolded Amanda, glaring at her brother and shaking the pencil tin at Svlad. “Don’t worry about Todd, he’s being a grumpy bum… and it’s my birthday and we don’t have a cake and I’m not a grumpy bum.”

Her lip wobbled into a pout, and Todd suddenly looked like he wanted to cry too. Svlad gulped down the lump welling in his own throat. Carefully, he reached into the tin, pulling out a yellow pencil. 

“Maybe we can find a cake? It can be a new case,” he offered. He glanced around the room of bright walls and white light. Really nowhere to look for a cake though. Maybe Mona could act as a cake, though he didn’t particularly want to eat Mona.

“I want a cake so I can blow out the candles and make a wish. Mommy said I get a wish on my birthday.”

“Amanda…” 

“I know. We’re not supposed to talk about Mommy… but I miss her. And Daddy.”

“Amanda,” Todd repeated, “you can talk about them if you want to.”

“But it makes you sad.”

Todd glanced down, his eyes carefully studying the table.

“I don’t think Mom and Dad would want us to forget them, Amanda.”

“Umm… sorry to interrupt… but… where are your parents?” asked Svlad curiously. He quickly shrunk back when Todd glared at him. Okay… not a good question to ask. Bad Svlad.

“They died,” answered Amanda. “There was an accident. Todd was with them, but he didn’t die.”

_ Bad bad Svlad. _ Now Todd looked like he wanted to cry even more than before. Very bad Svlad. 

“Amanda… come on, let’s put these balloons up on the walls,” Todd spoke up after a moment. “And then I’ll draw you a cake, okay?” 

“With a candle on it so I can blow it out and make a wish?”

Todd smiled softly at his sister, nodding. Amanda grinned, throwing her arms around him.

“I love you, Todd. I’m glad you didn’t die.”

“You’re a good brother, Todd,” added Svlad, his heart singing slightly when Todd met his eyes and nodded. 

  
  


[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/181625051@N07/47928630507/)  
Art by [kariw](https://kariw.tumblr.com)

  
  


Svlad was allowed to see Todd and Amanda for thirty minutes the next few days. He looked forward to it every morning. Even his tests were more bearable now that he had his evening meeting to look forward to. Todd had begun telling Svlad about himself too, his school, and music class where he learned to play the guitar and bass. Svlad hoped Todd would be nice enough to teach him one day. Amanda was fantastic and would greet him with a hug every time he saw them. Svlad loved watching Todd with Amanda. If Svlad had a brother, Todd would definitely be the kind of brother he wished he had. Though Todd made a fantastic assistant and best friend too. When Amanda’s stuffed bunny went missing, Todd had somewhat assisted Svlad to solve the case (turned out the bunny was actually Mona, who had then decided to try acting as a speck of dust for a bit. Todd wasn't too keen on sharing his room with Amanda and her “bunny” after knowing that but a few tearful pouts from Amanda and he resigned), and performed his role admirably, as much as he kept insisting he wasn’t his assistant.

“Svlad, are you going to be a detective when you grow up?” Amanda asked him during one of their meetings.

“Oh definitely. I would like to open my own detective agency, like the ones I’ve read about in the mystery novels Mr Riggins sometimes lets me have.”

“Your own detective agency? That sounds cool! What are you going to call it?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure yet, Svlad Cjelli’s Detective Agency? That doesn’t quite feel right though.”

“Maybe you can have a superhero detective name. All the best superheros have a superhero name,” suggested Amanda.

“Oh, that’s a splendid idea! Though, what should my super detective name be? What do you think, Todd?”

Todd shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Come on, Todd. You’re meant to assist me, and there’s nothing more important I need assisting with than finding my detective name.”

“I’m not your assistant,” retorted Todd, rolling his eyes.

Svlad grin, waiting for his assistant to come around. 

“Fine, how about something stupid… like... Dirk Gently. Wait, is that a book? Something about a holistic detective agency?” 

“Dirk Gently… hmm, I like it. It’s brilliant!”

“But wait, it’s a book-”

“Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency,” interrupted Svlad, “Amazing! Todd, that describes me perfectly! Fantastic assisting!”

Todd started at Svlad as though he had grown another head. 

“But there’s already a book—” Todd tried again, but Svlad just whooped, yelling out “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” once more, this time joined by Amanda. 

Todd sighed. “Whatever. And I’m not your assistant, Svlad.”

Svlad only eyed him expectantly. 

“Fine,  _ Dirk Gently _ .”

  
  


“Svlad, do you like spending time with Todd and Amanda?” Mr Riggins had asked him one day on their way to the meeting room. Svlad, or Dirk as he now liked to be known, wondered if there were any hidden meaning in the question. Though thankfully, it was Mr Riggins who asked, and not Mr Priest.

“Yes, Mr Riggins, I like spending time with Todd and Amanda very much.”

Mr Riggins nodded. “And do you get along with them?”

Dirk nodded, then shrugged. “I think so.”

Mr Riggins slowed his steps, bending down and turning to face Dirk. “Has Todd told you anything about… his abilities? What he can do?”

Dirk hesitantly shook his head, no. While Todd and Amanda told him many things about their life before Black Wing, they never spoke about why they were in Black Wing. He’d never seen Todd do anything, and ever since Todd’s reaction that first time he asked, Dirk hadn’t wanted to bring it up again. 

“I think…” Mr Riggins began slowly, as though choosing his words, “I think it would be helpful if you can find out what Todd’s abilities may be.”

Dirk shuddered slightly inside, recognising an order.

“Otherwise,” Mr Riggins continued, “we might not be able to let you see them so often, Svlad,” he finished, opening the door to let Dirk in. Dirk swallowed down the lump that had grown in his throat, giving Mr Riggins a final glance before entering.

Todd and Amanda were seated at the table, sheets of paper and pencils laid out before them.

“Hi, Dirk!” Amanda greeted him cheerfully. Todd also greeted him with a smile, which made Dirk even more nervous about Mr Riggins’ order. 

“Todd’s teaching me how to spell words so I can write letters to him when he’s away. I can write you letters too if you want. I wonder if Mr Riggins will deliver them to you? Or maybe Bart can. I’ll ask her!”

Bart was a little girl that was somehow free to wander around Black Wing as she pleased. She always seemed a little lonely to Dirk, kind of like himself, though also a little scary. 

“That would be wonderful, I would like that very much,” he answered her. 

“Umm… so, Amanda, what do you do during the day?” he asked, talking a slow breath to calm his nerves, and hating himself for what he was doing. “I mean… why is Todd not with you?”

“Well, I play with Mona, and sometimes with Bart. Todd has to go and do his tests.”

“What… what kind of tests do you do, Todd?”

Todd glanced sharply at Dirk, before seeming to collect himself and shrugging.

“Nothing. Just tests,” he answered, casting a glance at Amanda. “Here, Amanda, copy these words out a few times until you remember them,” he said, pushing the paper towards his sister. 

“Okay,” agreed Amanda, taking the list and a pencil to get started. She did a few strokes before she glanced up again, her round eyes curious. 

“Dirk, do you have to do tests too?”

Dirk slowly nodded. “Yes.”

“What do they test you on?”

“Well, mostly puzzles and guessing cards, sometimes they have mazes where they make me find hidden things,” he answered, trying to ignore Todd’s wide eyes staring at him. 

“Mona said they used to do tests on her too, that’s why she likes to be my bunny. She said her tests weren’t very nice, and sometimes they hurt her... Are your tests bad?”

“Kind of,” Dirk answered, watching Todd’s grip on his pencil tightening. “I mean, sometimes they’re not too bad, but sometimes they’re not very nice.”

“Todd won’t tell me about what he does at his tests,” said Amanda, worried eyes now targeting her brother.

“They’re... fine, I’ve told you Amanda,” said Todd.

“But… they didn’t give you your pills…” Her lip wobbled, then she gasped, eyeing Dirk and pursing her lips together, as through she had said something she wasn’t meant to.

“I told you, I already took them,” answered Todd.

“What… what are your pills for?” asked Dirk.

“Nothing.”

“Todd, maybe we should tell Dirk,” said Amanda.

“No,” was Todd’s abrupt reply.

“Tell me what?” asked Dirk.

“I said nothing, stop asking.”

“That’s not very fair, Todd. I’ve told you about my abilities, and what I think I can do, and Mona let you see her acting different things. So why can’t you tell me what your…” He paused, Mr Riggins’ words echoing in this mind. He didn’t really want to force Todd to tell him anything, not with Todd’s current reaction, but he didn’t think he could let go of seeing a Todd and Amanda either. “What your ability is,” he finished.  

“Nothing,” was the blunt reply, Todd no longer staring at him, but now on the table. “I… I don’t have one.”

“So why are you here, in Black Wing?”

“I don’t know. Stop asking me.”

“They don’t just bring people here without a reason, Mr Riggins said we’re all special.”

“I’m. not. special. Stop.”

“Todd,” Dirk uttered hesitantly, when he noticed his friend starting to breathe erratically. “You can tell me-”

“I said stop. Just… I need you to… stop,” Todd continued, his eyes never leaving the top of the table. 

“Todd, do you need your pills?” asked Amanda, worriedly laying her hand onto her brother’s shoulder.

“I…” Todd stared at his own hands, wide eyes panicked, his lips muttering almost deliriously now. “No… no no no… no.”

Suddenly, he pushed back roughly from the table, landing hard onto his back on the floor with his chair, though hardly seemed to notice. 

“Todd, what’s wrong?” asked Dirk, scanning his eyes over his friend but unable to decipher what was actually wrong. 

“He needs his pills, give him his pills,” cried Amanda, pleading. 

Then Todd started screaming. 

  
  


“Todd has pararibulitis,” Amanda informed him the next time they were allowed to meet. 

Todd for his part, merely stared at the ground before him. 

“Pararibulitis, I don’t think I’ve heard of that,” said Dirk, “What is it, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Amanda shrugged, her large eyes focusing on Todd, waiting for him to answer.

“It’s a nerve disease. When it happens… when I have an attack, it makes my nerves interpret things incorrectly, so a drop of water can feel like ice, and a tissue can feel like sandpaper,” he explained. “It runs in my family, my aunt had it,” he added after a slight pause.

“That… sounds awful,” said Dirk, pondering what it would be like to feel things so differently, to have even normal things hurt you. Amanda nodded.

“It makes Todd hurt really bad,” she pouted, wrapping her arms around her brother. “And they didn’t give you your pills again.”

“I’ll be okay, ‘manda,” reassured Todd, giving her a hug back. 

“So last time… that was an attack, right?” asked Dirk. Todd nodded, staring at the ground again.

“And what do the pills do?”

“They help to prevent the attacks,” answered Todd. “They don’t always work, but… they help a lot.”

“And they haven’t been giving them to you?”

Todd paused, glancing at his sister. 

“Amanda, didn’t you promise Bart you would write her a letter?” he asked her. 

Amanda nodded. 

“I’m going to teach her the alphabet!”

Todd smiled, helping her over to the table and settling her down with pencils and paper.

“Here, why don’t you get started, and I’ll check it for you when you’re done.”

Amanda nodded happily, giving her brother a quick kiss on his hand before getting started. Once Amanda was working, Todd came back over to the corner where Dirk was. 

“They took the pills away,” he whispered to Dirk after a moment. “Mr Riggins said I’m not going to need them anymore.”

Dirk glanced at his friend, gulping down the lump that had grown in his throat.

“But what about… the attacks?”

Todd stared at the ground again, and Dirk could see a hint of red form at the corners of his eyes.

“They want them to happen, Dirk. That’s what they want to test,” he answered.

  
  


Dirk didn’t get to see Todd and Amanda for a long while after that meeting. He asked Mr Riggins every day, but Mr Riggins only told him that Todd was busy, and that Dirk needed to do better on his tests or they would call in Mr Priest to help him again. Amanda did write to him, as promised. Two letters, which Bart dutifully delivered. The first one simply said “dear Dirk, I miss you”. The second was worse, Amanda writing “dear Dirk, Todd gone, help”, followed by many frowning and crying faces. Dirk thought hard about that one. Todd gone? But surely Mr Riggins would’ve told him if Todd had left. And Dirk had never heard of anyone leaving Black Wing. Unless it meant they just didn’t bring Todd back to Amanda, which was a much more concerning thought.

“Ah, little Svlad Cjelli, do we have something special for you today,” greeted Mr Priest when Dirk was taken to the testing facilities a few days after receiving Amanda’s second letter. “Are you excited?”

Dirk shivered, thinking back to his tests the previous few days and how bad he must’ve done in them for Mr Riggins to come good on his threat to bring in Mr Priest.

“Yes, Mr Priest,” he responded, the only correct answer as he knew from experience. 

“Good, you should be. I have an assistant today, I think you’ll like him,” continued Mr Priest, buckling Dirk into the chair. Dirk hated that chair. It was the one that delivered all the painful shocks for every wrong answer he got. And he got a lot of wrong answers. 

“Look, he’s here,” announced Mr Priest at the sound of a door swishing open. Dirk turned his head, his heart dropping. 

“Todd, I believe you’ve met Svlad before?”

Dirk kept his eyes on Todd, almost wincing at the sight of his friend. Todd looked… awful. His skin was pale, a bruise marred one side of his cheek. Both his arms were heavily bandaged, and two of his fingers were taped, which Dirk recognised as Mr Priest’s handiwork. Todd hesitantly glanced at Dirk, then back at Mr Priest.

“Todd, come here,” ordered Mr Priest, beckoning Todd to the station beside him. “Don’t worry, boy, this one is so easy, even you can’t mess it up.”

“Yes, Mr Priest,” replied Todd, keeping his eyes on the ground the whole time he walked over. 

“So, today, we’re going to be asking young Svlad here to guess some cards. See,” instructed Mr Priest, clicking on a button to display four cards on the screen in from of Dirk, “one of the cards contains a sunflower. If he finds the sunflower, he can keep going.”

Dirk gulped. He knew this test. 

“But if he doesn’t find the sunflower, then all you need to do is push this button right here,” continued Mr Priest, showing Todd the large red button. “Simple, right?”

Todd’s wide eyes briefly met Dirk’s, then Mr Priest.

“What was that, Todd?” beckoned Mr Priest.

“Yes, Mr Priest.”

“Good, we’ll get started then.”

Dirk took a breath, watching the screen before him carefully as the four card images were shuffled, then aligned into a row, A, B, C, and D.

“Svlad, you know what to do,” said Mr Priest when he hesitated. Taking another breath and closing his eyes, Svlad hit a button on the console under his hand, bracing for the pain that he knew was going to come. 

The screen emitted a blip — sunflower. Dirk sighed in relief, he had gotten it correct. 

“Beginner’s luck, I see, Svlad,” said Mr Priest. “Next one now.”

The cards shuffled again, lining up in a row. Dirk made his selection quicker this time in fear of another warning from Mr Priest. This time however, the buzzer sounded instead. Incorrect. Dirk braced himself immediately, though no instant punishment came.

“Oops,” said Mr Priest, grinning. “Your turn, Todd.”

Todd glanced at Mr Priest, then at Dirk, his hand hovering hesitantly above the button. 

“Try it,” beckoned Mr Priest. Todd gulped, glancing at Dirk again. Dirk gave his friend a small nod from the little give room the strappings on the chair gave him. 

The pain of the shock was small and sharp, and ended as soon as it had started. Dirk whimpered, feeling the familiar tingle of the aftermaths, but knowing it hadn’t been the usual amount he got as punishment. He looked up to Todd, his heart beating nervously when he saw Todd’s expression. His friend had backed away from the console as though it had burnt his hand, staring in shock horror from Dirk to Mr Priest. 

“What’s the matter, Todd? He knew the consequences,” said Mr Priest, forcefully pulling Todd back towards the console by his shoulder. “Next one Svlad.”

The cards shuffled and lined up again, and Dirk chose a button. Another buzzer. Dirk’s heart fell. 

“Go on, Todd,” said Mr Priest. Dirk shut his eyes, awaiting. 

“No…” 

Dirk opened his eyes at Todd’s quivering response. Todd had stepped away from the console again, shaking his head. 

“No. I won’t do it,” he repeated, defiant this time.

Dirk felt his heart tense when Mr Priest cocked his head at Todd, laughing. 

“Ah, little Todd Brotzman. I knew I liked you. You have guts, have  _ bite. _ Unlike Svlad there, useless and weak.”

He held up a small device towards Todd.

“Press the button Todd, or you know what’s going to happen.”

Todd raised his hand towards the button hesitantly, glancing at Dirk. Dirk tried to smile for his friend, to let him know it was okay. Unfortunately it seemed to have the opposite effect because Todd suddenly dropped his hand back to his side, shaking his head. 

“No.”

“You’ve made your choice then,” said Mr Priest, clicking some buttons on the device. A crack and buzz sounded, Dirk gritting his teeth expecting the painful shock, only to feel none. Instead, to his horror, Todd cried out, falling to the ground clutching his arm and writhing in pain. 

“Get up,” ordered Mr Priest as soon as the buzzing stopped. Tears still running down his face, Todd shakily stood up, keeping his eyes on the ground. 

“Your turn, Svlad,” said Mr Priest, turning to Dirk, whose own tears were also falling from what had just happened. He swallowed the lump down his throat when the cards on the screen shuffled again, and formed a row. 

“Time is ticking,” warned Mr Priest. More tears ran down Dirk’s face, his heart racing, his fingers unwilling to guess. It was different now, now that Todd could be hurt from his choices instead of just himself. 

“You have five seconds, Svlad.” Mr Priest held up the device in his hand, the one that had hurt Todd. Dirk closed his eyes, unable to stop the tears that kept falling as he select the button under his ring finger. Another buzzer noise sounded. Incorrect again. 

“Oh dear, Svlad, we can always rely on you to get something wrong, can’t we? What do you think, Todd? Do you want to push the button, or not?”

“Yes, push it Todd, just push it. It’s okay,” Dirk begged.

“No,” was the stubborn reply, Todd finally raising his eyes to glare at Priest. 

“As you wish,” grinned Mr Priest, clicking the device again. The buzzing started, Todd unable to bite back a scream this time as he fell. 

“Stop, please, Mr Priest, hurt me instead,  _ please,”  _ cried Dirk, struggling against the metal clasps that bound him to the chair, not caring that they were chafing his skin. 

“Well well well, aren’t you two sweet,” mocked Mr Priest once the buzzing stopped again, and this time Todd took longer to get back up to his feet and needed to hold on to the console to steady himself. “Go, Svlad,” Mr Priest beckoned again. Dirk got the next one wrong, and three more after that. Each time, despite Dirk’s pleas, Todd refused to press the button, resulting in him being hurt instead. By the seventh incorrect answer in a row, Todd had stopped being able to get back up, just slumped on the ground, his hands clutched into tight fists as the sickening buzzing sounded, his screams hoarse. This time however, Todd’s screams didn’t subside when the buzzing stopped. Instead, his eyes widened, staring at his hands, and his screams got worse, desperate and panicked. Dirk went silent watching his friend, knowing what was happening. Pararibulitis. Todd was having an attack.

“Svlad, I’m waiting,” Mr Priest’s warning shouted out above Todd’s screams. Dirk glanced at the screen, the cards lined up in a row again. “Go on, make a guess.”

Dirk shook his head. No. If Todd could defy Mr Priest to not hurt Dirk, Dirk could also do the same and defy Mr Priest to help him. Plus, he could sense that Mr Priest’s device could no longer hurt Todd anymore than Todd’s own body was currently hurting itself. 

“No, Mr Priest, give Todd his pills.”

Mr Priest chuckled. 

“My my, learning to grow a backbone now, Svlad? Too bad it’s too late for your friend here,” he mocked. “Choose,” he ordered again. 

Dirk shook his head.

“No, not until you give Todd his pills.”

Another chuckle, then Mr Priest’s expression hardened, his hand reaching over to the button connected to Dirk’s chair. 

“I can’t hurt your friend anymore, Svlad, but I can still hurt you,” he threatened.

“I don’t care,” yelled Dirk, shutting his eyes to anticipate the pain he knew was going to follow. It hit him almost immediately, the sharp pricks heightening all his nerves. He thought he heard a sudden crackle, and the pain immediately stopped. Dirk opened his eyes to see a spark of electricity buzzing between Todd’s now outstretched hand and Mr Priest’s, the one that had been pushing the button. Another quick zap, and the spark disappeared, leaving Todd heaving, a heap on the floor, but no longer screaming.

Everything was silent for a long moment, the pungent smell of seared flesh filling the room. Even from where he was, Dirk could see the burnt flesh of Mr Priest’s hand, red and blistered. 

Then, Mr Priest began to chuckle manically, despite the pain he should’ve been in.

“Well done, Project Erebus,” he commented when he was done, giving Todd a pat on his shoulder with his uninjured hand. “You know, I’m feeling extra generous today. Icarus, we’ll finish here,” he concluded, walking out the door. 

Dirk kept his eyes on Todd, who hadn’t stopped staring in horror at his own hand, his face white, blue eyes wide. He had been just about to speak up when Todd began to cry, curling himself into a tight ball and burying his face into this arms, his shoulders shaking with each sob and gasp. Despite everything that had happened, somehow to Dirk, the sound was worse than all the screaming and pain combined.

  
  


Dirk wasn’t taken to testing the following morning. Usually, Dirk loved days when he didn’t need to go to tests, but sitting in his room with no distractions, all he could think of was Todd. He had hardly slept the night before, unable to stop the distressing sounds of Todd’s screaming mixed in with his sobs from replaying over and over in his head. It was about mid-morning when Mr Riggins appeared at his door, with the simple instructions of “follow me”. 

Mr Riggins led Dirk down a few different corridors of the facility, ones that Dirk hadn’t been down before, stopping at an unfamiliar door. 

“You can spend today here, Svlad. Someone will take you back to your room this evening,” said Mr Riggins, scanning his card. 

The door opened with a soft swish, and Dirk entered. The room was much like his own, except it had two beds instead of one. Various familiar drawings were tacked up around the walls, and a recognisable bunny sat on the empty bed. Todd was laying on the other bed, curled up on his side. Amanda was curled up against her brother, her arms wrapped tightly around his torso. She sat up, untangling herself from Todd when she saw him.

“Dirk! You’re here!” she greeted him, running up to him to throw her arms tightly around him. He returned the hug gently. She pulled away again, to face him, Dirk only then noticing the tear stains on her cheeks, her round brown eyes red at the corners. 

“Todd,” she simply told him, pulling at his hand to lead him towards the bed where Todd was. She pushed him down onto an empty spot where he could face Todd, and took a seat beside him, wrapping her arms around her brother’s legs this time and resting her cheek on him. 

“Dirk,” Todd whispered softly, his red rimmed bright blue eyes standing in stark contrast to the paleness in his cheeks. “They let you come.”

Dirk nodded, sniffling, feeling tears well up in his own eyes. 

“Todd, I’m so sorry, it was all my fault… I… I always do it wrong, guess the wrong cards, choose the wrong paths…”

He paused when he felt Todd’s hand reaching out to clasp his wrist. 

“Are you alright?” he asked Todd, seeing the thick bandaging still on his arms. Todd nodded, struggling to sit up. Dirk and Amanda shifted to give him room, Amanda settling into another spot at Todd’s side, her arms remaining wrapped around her brother. Todd glanced around the room for a moment, then leant in close to Dirk, his head resting on Dirk’s shoulder, his lips by his ear. Dirk wrapped his own arms around his friend, holding him close and tight, though careful he wasn’t hurting Todd. 

“It’s not your fault,” whispered Todd. “They hurt you too.”

Dirk’s heart clenched. 

“Thanks Dirk,” Todd continued after a moment.

“What for?” asked Dirk, feeling like even though Todd didn’t blame him for his mistakes, he certainly wasn’t worthy of being thanked.

“For being my friend,” was Todd’s answer. The lump in Dirk’s throat grew, Dirk feeling his own tears well up. 

“Thanks for being mine too,” he managed to whisper back, smiling when he felt Todd relax against him. 

For the first time in a long time, Dirk felt he wasn’t alone in the universe anymore.


	2. 2000

**Five years later...**

“Do you remember the exact colour of the sky?” Dirk asked, looking up to stare at the blank ceiling. Todd and Amanda were seated beside him on the floor, all nestled among a pile of cushions courtesy of Mona. “I don’t think I do anymore.”

Todd had been teaching him a new song on the paper bass guitar he had made for him. ‘Lucy in the sky with diamonds’, apparently by a band called the beetles, and Dirk found it amusing that a band was named after bugs. His paper bass was really just a folded piece of paper to resemble the neck of the instrument, with the strings and frets drawn on so Dirk could practice how to position his hand for all the chords.

“ _ Picture yourself in a boat on the river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies, _ ” Todd sang, showing him each chord on his own paper for Dirk to copy. “It’s marmalade, sometimes,” he commented, in response to Dirk’s question. “But mostly blue. I remember milky blue.”

“ _ Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, a girl with kaleidoscope eyes, _ ” he continued singing.

“Was this really Daddy’s favourite song?” asked Amanda. She was tapping a pencil on a tin, keeping time for them. Todd nodded, smiling warmly at his sister. 

“You were almost named Lucy, but Mom liked Amanda.”

Then he grinned, dropping the paper in his hand to play an air guitar instead.

“‘Manda in the sky, with diamonds…” he sang, launching into the chorus with gusto, much to his little sister’s amusement. 

“I like Amanda much better,” she giggled, wrapping her arms around him. She shrieked when he lifted her up and placed her down onto one of the cushions, attacking her sides with tickles.

“Stop, stop it, Todd! I’m too old for this!” she cried out between her laughter.  

“Too old?” he teased, tickling her further. “Never!”

“Yes too old, I’m nearly ten,” she declared, remnants of giggles still erupting even when he finally let her go.

“Amanda, it’s your birthday very soon, isn’t it?” asked Dirk. He kept a vague count of the days, but knew Todd kept a better count, since he always knew when it was Amanda’s birthday. 

“Yep, Todd says in five days!” she exclaimed happily. “I hope Mr Riggins let’s you come and see us that day.”

Dirk nodded. 

“I’ll remember to ask him.”

“Todd says I can even blow out real candles this year.”

“You managed to get candles?” Dirk asked, turning to Todd. He knew if they did well in testing, or after a particularly gruelling test, Mr Riggins sometimes rewarded them with things they asked for. He had noticed Todd moving a little stiffer today, guessing it was perhaps the latter than got him the candles. 

Todd simply nodded. “I asked for eleven candles.”

“One for every year, and one for good luck!” added Amanda, wrapping her arms around her brother’s shoulders from behind. “Thanks, Todd. You’re my favourite brother.”

“I’m your  _ only  _ brother, sis,” replied Todd, ruffling her hair and laughing when she yelped indignantly. 

“Does this mean you’ll get ten wishes?” asked Dirk. “What will you wish for first?”

Amanda tilted her head thoughtfully, pondering for a moment. “I’m going to wish to see marmalade skies.”

  
  


Dirk made sure to ask Mr Riggins the very next day if he would be able to see Todd and Amanda on Amanda’s birthday, and much to his delight, Mr Riggins agreed. He picked out one of his favourite books from when he was Amanda’s age as a gift for her and made sure to draw a whole heap of paper balloons too, so he could add to the collection Todd would no doubt have already prepared. On the actual day of Amanda’s birthday, he was filled with relief to be greeted by Mr Roberts at testing and not Mr Priest.

“Good morning, Mr Roberts,” he greeted politely, though as usual, was met by a silent nod from the gruff man. Dirk sighed at the arrangement presented before him, recognising the gun pointed in his direction which would deliver a splatter of paint on his face every time he guessed the wrong answer. It wasn’t as bad as the shock chair, but the paint hitting him hurt, and the splatters were difficult to wash off, sometimes staying faintly for days after. 

“Ready, Svlad?” Mr Roberts asked, interrupting Dirk’s thoughts. 

He nodded, concentrating on the screen flashing before him before haphazardly making his choice. The splatter landed right on his nose before he had even acknowledged the incorrect buzzer. Dirk sighed, trying his best to think of Todd and Amanda and balloons and candles instead when he selected his next answer. 

Once testing was complete for the day, much to Dirk’s relief, he was escorted back to his room by another of Black Wing’s personnel. 

“Where’s Mr Riggins? Is he coming to get me later?” he asked, but the man had simply shook his head and shrugged. 

Inside his room, Dirk quickly organised himself for Amanda’s birthday, not knowing how soon Mr Riggins was coming. He cleaned himself up from the paint splatters as best he could, frowning at a bruise leftover on his cheek from where a few had hit him in the same spot. He changed out of his clothes, which also had various splatters, then gathered Amanda’s present and his paper balloon drawings into a neat pile, ready to take with him when the time came. After waiting a moment and still not seeing Mr Riggins, he gathered his paper bass guitar into his hand and began going through the chords of ‘Lucy in the sky with diamonds’, doing his best to imagine Todd’s voice singing along.

_ Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees, and marmalade skies. _

_ Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, a girl with kaleidoscope eyes.  _

He had gone through the whole song twenty times before he dared to glance at the door again, a deep sinking feeling in his heart. Mr Riggins wasn’t coming to get him. 

 

 

“Mr Riggins, may I please see Todd this afternoon?” he begged the next day while Mr Riggins was walking with him back to his room after testing. Dirk’s legs were shaky from the electric shocks he had received as part of the day’s tests, his nerves still jangling and raw. He knew he looked a mess, his eyes and cheeks probably red from the tears he hadn’t been able to hold back, but even his own predicament hadn’t stopped the now constant awful pit in his stomach that told him he needed to see Todd and Amanda.

“Todd and Amanda aren’t available today, Svlad. Maybe another day,” Mr Riggins answered, opening the door to Dirk’s room with his card scanner. 

“Please, Mr Riggins, l have a gift for Amanda, and I need to see Todd. I just… I know I have to,” he tried again, careful to keep his body outside the door so Mr Riggins wasn’t able to just shut him in. 

“Svlad,” he was warned, but Dirk remained stubborn. 

“Mr Riggins, I feel that… that Todd needs me. I have… a hunch.”

Dirk knew the people at Black Wing were always interested in his “hunches”.

“A hunch, Svlad?”

“Yes, Mr Riggins… please, let me see Todd.”

He almost didn’t believe it when Mr Riggins scanned his card again, shutting the door to his room behind him.

“Alright, come along, Svlad,” was the order, Dirk cautiously but gratefully following the man down the corridor. He was led to where Dirk recognised as the clinic. Dirk gulped once he realised. The clinic was where they received medical treatment when they were hurt, often a result of tests that had gone too far, a “punishment session” with Mr Priest, or for their twice a year physical, an ordeal that they all hated. 

“Todd is inside. I’ll give you a full hour,” Mr Riggins told him outside the entrance to one of the wards. He scanned his card to open the door for Dirk. Inside, behind a drawn curtain, Todd was seated on a plastic chair beside a bed, staring at the tiny figure upon the bed. Dirk took in a shaky breath when he saw it was Amanda, the young girl tucked in and sleeping soundly. 

“It’s me…” he managed to stammer out, pulling out another empty chair from the corner of the ward to sit beside Todd. “What… what happened?”

Todd’s eyes were red-rimmed, the blue of his pupils standing out in stark contrast as he finally took his eyes away from Amanda to face Dirk. 

“Amanda… she… she had an attack,” he answered slowly, a tear falling from the corner of his eyes, joining with other fresh streaks down his cheek.

“A… pararibulitis attack?” whispered Dirk, a deep sinking feeling in his heart. Todd nodded, blinking away more tears. 

“It runs in our family… but I thought… maybe… maybe she would… wouldn’t…” he gasped, sobs stuttering his speech. “It… it was all my fault.”

Dirk reached out to wrap his hand around his friend’s shoulder, though he knew any comfort he could provide was little assurance. 

“When did it happen?” 

“Yesterday… I… I was in testing… with Mr Priest, and it was later than usual. I think… Bart helped her to come and find me… She saw…” 

Dirk gulped down the lump in his throat.

“She saw you and Mr Priest in testing?”

Todd nodded, unconsciously rubbing one of the thick bandages on his arm.

“I… I didn’t even notice she was there until I heard her scream.”

“Todd...”

“She just kept screaming and screaming that… that she was on fire, and she was screaming for me and I tried to go to her. I needed to get to her, but I wasn’t strong enough, and Mr Priest… he… he wouldn’t let me go to her,” Todd broke down, his words dissolving into sobs. “I should’ve fought harder, I…”

Dirk shook his head, pulling Todd into a hug. 

“It was Mr Priest… you know there’s nothing we can do. It’s not your fault,” he whispered. “Amanda will be okay… she has you to help her.”

“That’s the thing, Dirk. I can’t help her. Now that she… she’s got pararibulitis, they’re going to… going to want to do testing on her too.”

“Maybe if they already have you, they won’t need Amanda?” asked Dirk.

“But they’ve kept her here all these years waiting, otherwise they would’ve let her go. I always thought, if she had it, it wouldn’t happen until we were older, old enough to be out of here or something... I don’t know...”

“How old were you when you first had an attack?”

Todd blinked away a tear, casting his eyes to an empty spot on the floor. 

“I was six… but… it was caused by an accident,” he whispered. “I was playing around Dad’s electric guitar. There was a live wire, and I touched it and… well, next thing I remember I was in hospital and everything hurt. I had my first attack on the day they were finally going to let me go home. They think the electrocution triggered it… I mean, others in our family that have it, they don’t usually have their first attack until they’re adults.”

“So, you think something triggered Amanda’s attack?”

Todd shrugged.

“Sometimes big emotions can trigger an attack… and when she saw… Mr Priest, he… he was trying to cause me to have an attack… It’s all my fault, isn’t it?”

“Of course it’s not your fault, Todd. Nothing you could’ve done would have prevented this from happening,” Dirk told his friend firmly. Todd slowly nodded, more tears rolling down his cheeks.

“I guess… but… if I hadn’t…” He shook his head again. “I can’t let Amanda go to testing, Dirk. I won’t. It’s… it’s my fault she’s here, everything is my fault. I can’t… I can’t let them hurt her,” he sobbed, his voice breaking from the strain.  

Dirk pulled his friend tightly into his embrace, rubbing his back when he felt his shoulders quivering with each broken sound that came out of him. He tried to talk, to reassure Todd that everything would work out, but he couldn’t seem to find any words that weren’t only empty promises. 

  
  


It was a whole ten days before Dirk was allowed to see the Todd again at their usual meeting room. 

“Todd, what happened to you?” exclaimed Dirk at once, taking in the sight of his friend. One of his arms was in a heavy cast, and a black eye covered a quarter of his face. 

“I’m fine,” was the clipped answer, once Todd had slowly turned his head to see Dirk. “Just, broke my arm,” he shrugged.

“Where’s Amanda?” he asked, gulping as he took a seat beside Todd. “Is she alright?”

“Yeah, she’s still at the clinic but they’re going to let her out soon. She’s okay, they’ve been giving her the pills and they’ve been working well at preventing the attacks for her.”

Dirk sighed slightly in relief that Amanda was doing better with her condition.

“Has she had any other attacks since… the first one?”

Todd shook his head, giving Dirk a small smile. 

“No, she probably will, though… but not yet.”

Dirk nodded, not wanting to imagine the young girl going through what he’d witnessed in Todd during one of his attacks. 

“Will… will they start testing on her?” he whispered to Todd after a moment, swallowing down the lump in his throat. 

Todd looked away, his face expressionless.

“No... they’re not going to. I’ve taken care of it.”

“Taken care of it? How?”

“Don’t worry,” Todd replied, his eyes still carefully avoiding Dirk’s. “It’s going to be fine.”

  
  


“Dirk, I’ve missed you!”

Dirk grinned at the flurry of dark hair and limbs that had attached herself to him the moment he stepped into the room. 

“Amanda, I’ve missed you too,” he said, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “How have you been? I haven’t seen you since the clinic.”

Amanda’s wide brown eyes met his, and he was sad to see the little bit of maturity that had formed there.

“I’m okay. I’ve had a few attacks, which sucks, but the medicine they give me really helps.”

Dirk nodded, giving her an extra squeeze before letting go. 

“I’m sorry I missed your birthday, did you get to blow out the candles?”

She nodded, grinning. “Todd let me blow them out at the clinic. Mona became a cake so we could stand them up in something nice. I promise we didn’t eat her.” 

Dirk laughed, putting her down to give her the book in his hand.

“Here, your birthday present. I never got a chance to give it to you.”

“Wow, thanks, Dirk!” she happily exclaimed, taking the book in delight. “I can’t wait to read it! Todd said he was going to try and get more books for us, but he keeps going away.”

“Going away? To where?” asked Dirk. “By the way, where is he now?”

Amanda shrugged in response. 

“I don’t know. He won’t tell me where he goes.”

“When he comes back… is he… okay? Or is he hurt?”

“He seems okay… he just goes a bit quiet. Like, he doesn’t want to talk as much anymore.” She leaned into Dirk so she could whisper into his ear. “Mona followed Todd once. She said they went outside.”

“Outside?” 

Amanda nodded. “Outside of here. They didn’t come back for two days. Mona turned back into bunny as soon as they came back and wouldn’t talk to me for a long time either.”

“Did you ask her what happened later?” asked Dirk, confused. Amanda shook her head.

“I tried, but she wouldn’t say.”

“What does Todd say when you ask him?”

“He just says everything is fine. But it’s not fine, Dirk. Todd is being weird.”

Dirk frowned.

“Do you know if he goes with anyone?”

Amanda nodded.

“Mona said with Mr Priest... I don’t like Mr Priest, he’s scary.”

“Has…” Dirk glanced around, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Has Mr Priest done anything to hurt you, Amanda? Have… have they made you go and do tests?”

To Dirk’s relief, Amanda shook her head.

“No, they haven’t made me do any tests. But he hurt Todd. I saw him. And Mona says he’s a very bad man.”

Dirk nodded, remembering that Todd had told him how Amanda had accidentally witnessed one of his testing sessions with Mr Priest. 

“He hurts you too, doesn’t he?” she suddenly asked, her eyes wide, as though they were staring right through him. Dirk gulped, nodding.

“I’m scared, Dirk,” she whispered to him, wrapping her arms around him into a tight hug again. “I don’t want Todd being with Mr Priest.”

Dirk took a shaky breath, trying to calm the butterflies that had formed in the pit of his stomach.

“Me neither.”

  
  


“There’s a new boy here, his name is Vogel,” reported Amanda when Dirk saw her a few days later. Todd had came back from his latest outing, but Amanda said he looked really tired and was resting. “Bart took me to see him because she said he was sad.”

“Was he sad?” asked Dirk, thinking over the clues he had collected over the past few days regarding Todd, though he had to admit, there weren’t many. This may be something though, it was always all connected.

“Yes, he wouldn’t stop crying. He says he’s hungry, but he doesn’t know who he can eat.”

“ _ Who _ he can eat?”

Amanda nodded. “He said ‘who’... do you think he’s a vampire like Dracula? Todd has a book about Dracula.”

“Do they give him any food?”

“I think so, his lunch tray was still there when I saw him. Do vampires eat normal food?”

Dirk shrugged.

“Maybe, I forgot to ask Dracula when I saw him.”

“You saw Dracula?” said Amanda incredulously, large brown eyes widening.

“Yes, once, it was when I was still living in Transylvania. I was only little then.”

“Was he scary?” asked Amanda, “Did he try to eat your blood?”

Dirk laughed, remembering the bumbling vampire.

“No, he’s actually very nice. He mostly eats rats blood, or steals the blood from hospitals.”

“Oh, that’s nice then. I’d like to meet him too! So, do you think Vogel is a vampire?” asked Amanda, getting back on the topic at hand. Dirk shrugged. 

“Did he have any fangs?”

Amanda shook her head. 

“No… he said he misses his family, and they would know who he could eat from,” answered Amanda. “Oh,” she exclaimed, “maybe he’s a picky vampire that only likes some people’s blood. I hope it’s not mine.”

Dirk smiled, ruffling the young girl’s hair and making her giggle. 

  
  


“5… 8… 23… 44,” Dirk guessed in a sequence, concentrating hard on the numbered balls dropping blindly down the chute.

“WRONG, WRONG, WRONG” the screen flashed each guess he made, and he wondered if maybe the universe’s plan was just for him to be wrong. Even so, the red light along with the loud buzzer for every incorrect answer he gave made it quite disheartening. 

“How much longer is this going to be?” he asked Mr Watson when the balls were reloading giving him a small reprieve. 

“Another two cycles and then we can try something else, Svlad,” was the answer. Dirk sighed when the machine started up again, dropping a ball down the chute. 

“5.” WRONG. “32.” WRONG. “45-”

A loud siren interrupted him, a red light flashing up above the door. Dirk glanced at Mr Watson out the window, who signalled to him to pause before leaving his place to investigate. 

“Svlad, come with me,” was his next order, two other men following Mr Watson to escort him. Dirk allowed himself to be led, curious as to what had happened.

“If you don’t mind me asking, where are we going?” he asked.

“Lock down, I’ve been told to take you back to your room.”

They went down a few corridors until Dirk felt a sudden urge to turn left. 

“Left,” he exclaimed, glancing at Mr Watson. “Sorry, Mr Watson, but we need to go left.”

Mr Watson halted the men dragging Dirk along, pacing to face Dirk.

“Svlad, what is it?”

“I need to go left, Mr Watson, I don’t know why… It’s a hunch.”

He gulped, an overwhelming sense of dread suddenly coming over him. 

“Something bad has happened, hasn’t it?”

Mr Watson didn’t answer him, but directed the men to turn left. They had only walked a few paces, when a sudden burst of fumes choked him.

“Take them,” he heard through the fog, and Dirk instinctively took a step back, recognising it as Mr Priest. There were sounds of a scuffle and various buzzes of electricity as the fog cleared. Dirk blinked, taking in the few figures before him, three men in leather jackets struggling against a hoard of Black Wing guards, Mr Priest standing to the side… and in the corner an unconscious crumbled figure.

“Todd!” Dirk yelped when he realised who it was. “What happened? Is he alright?” he asked panicked, turning to Mr Watson. 

“Ahh, you brought Icarus to see his boyfriend. How kind of you, Watson,” said Mr Priest. “Don’t worry, young Svlad, he’s not dead yet. He should thank us, a few more minutes and he would’ve been drained dry.”

He giggled, as though he had told a joke, yet Dirk couldn’t tell which part was meant to be funny. 

“Svlad, what are you doing here?” asked another voice, Mr Riggins appearing from around the corner. 

“He said he felt a hunch, Sargeant,” reported Mr Watson. 

Mr Riggins nodded.

“Priest, take the rest of Incubus into custody, high security.”

“Yes, sir,” nodded Priest. “What about the little one, do we put him with them?”

Mr Riggins shook his head.

“No, leave the little one where he is for now. He’s done his job luring them to us.”

“And Erebus?”

Mr Riggins turned to see Todd, still slumped over on the ground. 

“Take him to the clinic. He’ll need some rest, but he should be fine. As for Svlad, take him back to his room, Watson.”

“Yes, sir,” the men responded to their orders. Mr Riggins nodded and walked away. 

“Come on, Svlad, we need to take you to your room,” Mr Watson told him, the two men taking his arms on either side to escort him again. 

“But…” Dirk turned to see where Todd was now being lifted by two other men, still unconscious, his face pale and devoid of life. 

“I’ll see if we can organise a visit for you tomorrow, Svlad,” said Mr Watson kindly. Dirk nodded, grateful. He turned again to take a final glance at Todd as they took him away, then obediently followed the men back to his room.

  
  


To Dirk’s relief, Mr Watson came good on his promise, and he was allowed to spend a few minutes with Todd at the clinic the day after. He was relieved to see that Todd was now conscious and awake, though he still looked rather pale. 

“Hi,” he greeted his friend, feeling slightly awkward when he realised how long it had been since he last spoke to him. Todd glanced up at him from the bed, then looked away, remaining silent.

“Amanda said you’ve been busy,” said Dirk, breathing deeply through the air that seemed to have thickened. “What have you been up to?”

He gulped when Todd continue to ignore him.

“Todd, talk to me.”

More silence. 

“Todd?”

“Go away,” was the soft reply, Todd’s eyes still avoiding Dirk’s.

“Todd, you’re being unfair. Amanda and I have been stupendously worried about you.”

Todd closed his eyes, turning away from Dirk.

“M’fine,” he mumbled.

“That’s what you always say. Amanda said you’ve been going outside with Mr Priest.”

Silence once again.

“Todd, please.”

“Go away, it’s none of your business… Svlad.”

Dirk drew a sharp breath, tears welling in the corners of his eyes even as he scowled at the name. 

“I… I thought we were friends,” he managed to whisper, somewhat glad Todd had turned away so he couldn’t see the tears that now ran down his cheeks. Annoyed, he swiped them away with his hand, though only more joined them. 

Todd didn’t answer, only hiding his face into his pillow until Dirk was escorted away. 

  
  


“Svlad, We’ve got a real treat for you today,” said Mr Priest, tightening the grip he had on Dirk’s shoulder. “You won’t even need to do anything other than stand still. Sure you can manage that?”

Dirk gulped, willing his feet to remain steady while Mr Priest led him down the corridor.

“Yes, Mr Priest.” 

“Good. And look, your boyfriend is here to join us too. I told you it was a treat,” continued Mr Priest, swiping the door open to reveal a large spacious room, a pool on one end with a pathway that led down to the pool. Dirk saw Todd standing in the corner of the room, and was disappointed when Todd’s eyes remained focused on the ground before him. Gulping down the lump that had formed in his throat, Dirk turned his head to Mr Priest, awaiting his next instructions, resigned to whatever cruel fate was awaiting. With a grin, Mr Priest pushed a button, Dirk redirecting his attention to the pool when it began to whirl. 

Three figures locked in a frame rose up from the depths, causing Dirk to gasp when he recognised them as the same leather jacket men he had seen previously… Incubus? The same ones who had hurt Todd.

“I believe you briefly met Incubus the other day, isn’t that right, Svlad?”

“Yes, Mr Priest.”

“Well, you don’t need to be shy then. All you need to do is walk out onto the platform there,” directed Mr Priest, pointing to the edge of the pool right near the Incubus men. Dirk turned when he noticed Todd staring at him, eyes wide in panic. 

“Go on Svlad, we’re waiting,” prompted Mr Priest, placing his hands over Todd’s shoulders. Dirk turned back to face the pool, and the men, gulping when he recalled Todd’s pale face the other day, how lifeless and pale he had looked after encountering the men. Taking a breath to calm his own rapid heart beat, he hesitantly took a step forward, then another. 

“Wait!”

He paused at Todd’s halt, turning back to face Todd and Mr Priest. 

“Please, Mr Priest, there must be another way,” Todd cried, turning to face Mr Priest. 

“And what do you suppose that way is, my dear boy?” asked Mr Priest, cocking his head to his side. “Incubus needs to eat.”

“I know… but… it doesn’t have to be Dirk.”

“Why? Would you like to volunteer again, Project Erebus? How very generous of you.”

“I…” 

“No, let me go, Todd,” Dirk cut in before Todd could answer, not willing to allow Todd to take his ‘punishment’ like he had so many times before. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then continued forward until he was at the front, within close distance of the three men. It was only this close that he noticed they were all only teenagers or young men, and probably only a couple of years older than himself and Todd. Vogel, his brain helpfully reminded him now. The other one of them, the little one. Amanda had called him a boy. Still, he couldn’t help but back up a step when the middle one’s eyes suddenly opened, staring manically at him. 

“Lunchtime, boys,” the man declared with a grin, the other two also opening their eyes, all three now looking at him hungrily. 

Dirk closed his eyes, bracing for pain, or whatever he was meant to feel, only to hear a desperate “no!” yelled out, and the feeling of being pulled into a familiar embrace. 

“No,” Todd grunted out again, this time looking like he was in pain. 

“Todd? What’s wrong? Are… are you having an att—” Dirk began to ask, when a burst of fire erupted from Todd’s outstretched hand, making Dirk gasp. “Oh my God, Todd, there’s… there’s fire… what?”

“Stay… stay away,” Todd stammered to the men, holding out his hand that was supposed to be burning… and yet, somehow, wasn’t.

“Did you want us to finish the job?” the man in the middle asked, cocking his head expressionlessly at Todd. “It’s the least we can do after you took Vogel from us. He’s just a boy, but you didn’t care, did you punk?”

“I…” Todd uttered, his voice faltering.

“What… what is he talking about, Todd?”

“Yes, what am I talking about? Why don’t you tell him, punk? Why don’t you tell him what you did, how you joined us, joined the team… only to betray us, to take Vogel and bring him here.”

“Todd… is that true? You… you kidnapped the vampire boy?”

“He said he was one of us, that he could help us, didn’t you? I knew something was up when I met you, could smell it a mile away. Only Vogel trusted you.”

“I… I didn’t want… I… I’m sorry,” Todd stammered, the fireball disappearing from his hand when he put it down. 

“Too late,” the man said, and before Dirk could react, a blue light cast out over both him and Todd. Dirk felt his body numb up, a part of him feeling like it was being pulled away, though he wouldn’t call the sensation entirely unpleasant. It was as though a load was being taken, and one that he didn’t necessarily want to carry. Still, it was certainly strange. Todd on the other hand, gasped desperately as soon as the light hit, his expression horrified. A sudden spray of fumes hit them all, and the pulling feeling stopped, just as quickly as it had started.

“Alright, boys, that’s enough feeding. We still need Icarus and Erebus with us,” said Mr Priest, grinning, the fire extinguisher in his hands. Dirk glanced at Todd, who looked like he’d just seen a ghost, though thankfully was still conscious. 

“Run,” Dirk suddenly heard in his ear. No, not in his ear… it came from somewhere else. Somewhere inside… somewhere he knew he had to listen to, that drove his every instinct. 

“Run”.

Without a second thought, Dirk grabbed Todd and raced out the door, surprised when the door opened, and Mr Priest didn’t stop them. He barely noticed the reason, the two small figures he pushed past when he ran out with Todd, Bart, and the pale boy named Vogel.

  
  


Dirk dragged Todd all the way down several corridors, twisting and turning, until the instinct inside slowed, and then stopped altogether. Puffing from the exertion, Dirk slumped down onto the ground in the middle of a corridor, dragging Todd down with him. 

“What was that?” Dirk finally managed to ask, his heart and breath finally starting to slow. Todd didn’t answer, only continuing to breath heavily to catch his own breath. Seeing that Dirk was still waiting for him after a moment, he stared at the ground, shrugging. 

“Todd, you need to stop doing that,” said Dirk, frowning. 

“Stop doing what?” 

“Stop being so… secretive, and keeping everything to yourself. You always do this, you never tell anyone anything. You’re meant to be my assistant, but you never share any of the clues. You’re a  _ terrible _ assistant. Just… just tell me what’s going on.”

“I always said you should’ve found someone else to be your assistant,” muttered Todd, shrugging again.

“Not the  _ point, _ Todd. Who are those men? What did he just do to you? To us? It seemed a lot more terrible for you though. And is what he said true? You… you took Vogel from them?”

“Fine. They’re called the Rowdy 3, the leader blonde one is Martin, the bald one is Gripps, and the goth one is Cross, and you know about Vogel. They… I don’t know, they need to eat energy or something from people. It didn’t hurt when they were feeding from you?”

Dirk shook his head.

“It felt funny… but not exactly horrible? So they  _ are  _ like vampires, Amanda was right. But what about Vogel? The man said that you tricked him and took him? To here? But, he’s just a boy, why would you do that? You know what they do to us here.”

Todd looked away.

“I had to,” he said after a moment. Dirk swallowed hard at the lump in his throat, the connections in his mind slowly drawing together.

“Wait, Mr Priest made you do it, didn’t he?”

“Yeah… no… maybe,” Todd shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Todd…” Dirk’s eyes widened, “It was for Amanda wasn’t it?”

Todd glanced up sharply at him, then slumped down, drawing his knees to his chest.  

“After she had her first attack… you said they were going to start testing on her, and then you said that you took care of it… and you took care of it because you were going to help Mr Priest capture Vogel?”

“He just said to help him on some assignments. He… he promised he wouldn’t touch Amanda if I helped.”

“So you helped him to trick the Rowdy 3? By the way, in case you hadn’t noticed, there’s four of them.”

“They… I… He said to befriend them, make them trust me, so I did. And then… and then he told me to bring Vogel. I didn’t want to, but… they were going to hurt Amanda.”

“But, why did Mr Priest need your help?”

Todd glanced at Dirk, wide blue eyes studying him. Carefully, he lifted his hand.

“You saw what happened…”

“The fireball?”

Todd nodded. 

“Yeah, and others, too… depends on what my attack is. I’m better at controlling some than others, like fire I’m pretty good at, knives, ropes, even water if I’m drowning. You don’t want to know about the bug ones.”

“You… your attacks… they can become real?”

Todd nodded again. “It’s hard to control… but, yeah. Makes me pretty handy in a situation if you know the right controls to trigger an attack.”

“Your wrists, the bandages… that’s what they do in testing isn’t it? They try and trigger attacks and get you to make them real?”

Another nod.

“As I said, I’m not very good at it… they think Amanda can be better, but I can’t let them hurt her like how… like how they hurt us.”

“That time, when we were young, during testing… you… burnt Mr Priest. You burnt his hand with electricity or something… that was what it was wasn’t it?”

Todd’s eyes widened, then quickly glanced away, burying his head into his knees.

“Todd, that’s kind of super powerful cool, why are you upset?”

“It’s not that cool.”

“But, you’re like a real superhero or something! I mean, you fought off Mr Priest with a zap.”

“No Dirk, it’s not cool… it’s not. I can’t control it and people can… can get really hurt,” stammered Todd, his voice breaking into a sob. The grin that had formed on Dirk’s face in excitement slowly died down seeing his friend’s reaction. 

“Todd,” said Dirk after a moment, trying his best to keep his voice steady despite the lump that had grown in his throat. “What do you mean?”

Todd slowly raised his head, bright blue tear-filled eyes staring steadily at the wall opposite.

“It was Saturday. Amanda was at a playdate. I had an audition that afternoon for the Rockers, the coolest band at our school. They were known for winning all these rocks comps despite being a school band, and they usually only took people from the older grades, but my teacher had written me a recommendation to let me try out for it. I was practicing like crazy, it was all I wanted to do. Then Dad received a phone call that Aunt Esther had had a bad attack, and we needed to drive to her place two hours away to help her clean up since she had been taken to the hospital. And… I was so selfish, but all I could think about was that meant missing the audition, and I wouldn’t have a chance again until next year. I was just so sick and tired of pararibulitis ruining everything, so I got angry and told Mom and Dad I wasn’t leaving and that I needed to keep practicing and I refused to let go of my guitar.”

Todd’s fists tightened at the memory, drawing in a shaky breath before he continued.

“Well, Mom and Dad were having none of it, so they told me off, and told me I was being selfish and that I needed to think about other people and how much Aunt Esther needed us, then they tried to pull my guitar away and Dad said if that was the way I was going to be then he was going to get rid of it. And then I just… I was just so angry at them, at everything… I… I don’t even know why, but my hands started to hurt, and then I saw the electricity running through them and I knew I was having an attack. But, I was still just so angry… I thought… I just wanted it to be gone, the disease, and everything it brought, all the pain and everything, and I somehow, forced it out.”

Todd’s voiced dissolved as he broke down into sobs. Ignoring his own tears at the pieces now all connecting in his mind, as much as Dirk wished they wouldn’t reveal this particular horrific truth, Dirk placed a shaky hand onto his friend’s shoulders, hoping it provided some comfort no matter how little. 

“They died, screaming, burning… right before my eyes. It was as though they melted, like a candle, but… flesh and skin.”

Todd suddenly heaved, eyes widening as he lunged forward hard onto his knees, gagging and coughing. Dirk quickly reached forward to help him, running his hand down his back until he stopped, then helping him to sit back down when he calmed.

“Todd, it’s not your fault,” he whispered. “As you said, you couldn’t control it.” 

“But it doesn’t change the fact that I killed them, Dirk,” whispered Todd back, sniffling. “I killed my own parents. I… I killed Amanda’s parents. That’s why I can’t let them take Amanda. All this… here… the tests… Mr Priest… I deserve all this, but she doesn’t. She deserves to go to a normal school, have friends, go on playdates, run around in the open air. She doesn’t deserve this.”

“Todd, no, you’re wrong,” declared Dirk, grasping Todd’s shoulders firmly so he could face him. “I’ve never felt more clear on anything than this. You’re wrong Todd. Amanda doesn’t deserve to be here, but neither do you. And one day, we will get out of here, you, me, Amanda, Mona, all of us.”

He frowned when Todd turned his head slightly, staring past him down the corridor.

“Todd, I mean it.”

“Shush… do you hear that?” Todd whispered, pulling him closer against the wall.

“Hear what?” asked Dirk, just as an almighty crash greeted them, Bart and the Rowdy 3 yelling as they raced towards them, smashing everything in the way. 

“Food! I’ve found him!” the main Rowdy man, Martin, exclaimed. Dirk barely had time to process what was happening before finding himself lifted off his feet, barely able to clutch onto Todd for resistance.

“Hey, put me down, what’s going on?” he yelped.

“Getting out of here, need food. You’re good,” was the response as he found himself carried off. Dirk tried to reach back to Todd, but was unable to fight off the man balancing him on his shoulder. 

“Todd!” he yelled out to his friend, relieved when he saw Amanda at the back with Todd and Vogel.

“It’s alright Dirk, Vogel says we’re getting out of here,” yelled Amanda to him.

They ran down corridors, gunfire and smoke erupting on all sides whenever they were discovered, but somehow not hurting them as they foraged onwards. Bart led the way out, opening every door without even trying, most of the men only able to dodge away when they saw her. A few more twists and turns, and Dirk almost couldn’t believe his eyes when the brightest light Dirk had seen for a very long time blinded him, the warmth he only vaguely recalled hitting his skin. Sun… it was sunlight, he remembers. He was outside. They raced forward until they were stopped by a barricade of tanks and armed men, Mr Priest grinning at the front, despite the blood dripping from his shoulder. 

“Bart, my dear Bart. Where are you going?” asked Mr Priest.

“We’re getting out of here. Vogel says it’s fun outside. I’m bored here,” said the little girl.

“Outside? Bart, you don’t belong outside. The people there won’t understand you. You’ll be lonely.”

“Vogel says we’ll have each other. We won’t be lonely. I’m going outside, and you can’t stop me,” the girl replied determinedly.

“No, no, I can’t stop you, Bart, you’re right. But you don’t have to take them outside. They can be your family in here where it’s safe for you all.” 

“Get out of our way,” growled Martin, putting Dirk down onto the ground to brandish the metal pipe he was carrying. The other Rowdys followed suit with their own makeshift weapons, even little Vogel held up a broken off table leg he had gotten from somewhere.

“Calm down, now, Martin. You know you can get fed well here now that we’ve discovered what you need,” said Mr Priest, eyeing Dirk. “No more hunting in the streets. There’s plenty here for you.”

“Don’t trick us, we’re not going to fall for your lies anymore,” said Martin. “Come on, boys,” he rallied, nodding also to Bart, who smiled at him before picking up a piece of rock from the ground. Chaos erupted, objects and people flying around, blood splattering everywhere. Dirk huddled by Todd and Amanda, his eyes shut tightly, the three of them still in the midst of the chaos, praying nothing would hit them. 

“Come on,” Dirk suddenly heard, feeling himself being dragged up by the arm, then pulled along by the Rowdy named Cross. 

“Argh,” a sharp scream sounded behind him, Dirk turning when he realised he was Todd, who had fallen, clutching his forearm. 

“Todd, no…” he yelped, pulling himself out from Cross’s grip so he could race back to where Todd had collapsed. “It’s Mr Priest’s remote thing, he must’ve set it off.”

“Please,” begged Dirk, turning to Martin and the other Rowdies, who had turned back when Dirk and Amanda had left them. “Help him, please.”

Glancing up, Dirk could see Mr Priest and his men closing in on them. 

“Leave him, he’s with them,” said Martin.

“He’s not, he didn’t want to take Vogel, he was just... please… help him.”

A sudden crackle sounded and Dirk saw a spark of electricity form in Todd’s hand, the pain no longer on his face, now replaced with panic. Todd abruptly pulled himself away from the group, clutching his hand tightly into his own chest.

“Go, you all need to go,” he told them desperately, backing away from them.

“Todd—“ Dirk began, but Todd interrupted him.

“I can’t control it, Dirk, I’ll hurt you… go now!”

“Todd, no,” cried Amanda, running to her brothers side, but he backed away further. “No Amanda, don’t come here. Take her, please… take her with you,” Todd gasped to Martin, tears now streaming down his face. Martin glanced down at Todd, then at Amanda. 

“Please, she’s innocent in all this, she doesn’t know. Amanda, stay away from me, you need to go with them. Please, please take her.”

Vogel tugged at Martin’s sleeve, nodding.

“Toooddd! Nooooo… Toooooddd!” Amanda screamed when she was hoisted up by Martin, and pulled away from her brother. Dirk found himself hoisted up also, even as he tried to reach desperately for Todd as Amanda had. They had only run a good few paces when an explosion of electricity whizzed through the trees around them, Dirk twisting back to see a number of the men that had been coming after them on the ground, a burning scent filling the air.

“Come on, we need to hurry,” ordered Martin, the Rowdies increasing their pace.

“Todd, no,” sobbed Dirk helplessly as they drew away further, only able to watch as Mr Priest and more men surrounded Todd, pushing him roughly down onto the ground to hold him.

  
  


Dirk was loaded into a truck the Rowdies had waiting in the woods, everyone crowding inside, Martin taking the driver’s seat. Dirk sat numbly, Amanda tangled in his arms, voice hoarse and inconsolable. They drove for what seemed like hours and hours, Dirk watching a tiny spot of light dancing through from the sun, dimming as night fell until everything was dark. Still the trip continued, until numbness turned into sleep, and then back again when he woke, the sun spot now shining through at a different angle. The spot had almost returned to where it was yesterday when they finally stopped, Martin opening the door at the back to let them all out. 

“We’ll rest here a while, they won’t find us here,” he grunted at Dirk, before rallying the other Rowdies and Bart to let off some steam in the secluded woodland and find some firewood. Dirk looked around in awe at the beauty and serenity of the trees surrounding them, the sun setting behind majestic mountains, the sky pale orange and purple. 

“Look, Amanda,” he said to the girl in his arms. “Marmalade skies.”

“No,” she whispered back softly, wiping a tear away with her hand. “Not without Todd.” 

Dirk nodded, gulping down the lump in his throat.

“Yes, you’re right. Not without Todd.”

“We have to find him, Dirk,” said Amanda after a moment, tearful large brown eyes pleading. Dirk pulled her tighter into his arms.

“I know, we will. I promise, Amanda, we’ll find him.”


	3. 2018

**Eighteen years later...**

They never stopped looking over the years. No matter where the universe led them, what case he was on, all the hunches that dragged him around the world and even to other worlds, Dirk always still had the same case on his mind - find Todd. The group of them, Rowdy 3, Amanda, Bart, Mona (who had snuck out as Amanda’s bracelet), himself, stayed together for a couple of years following their escape from Black Wing, needing each other to heal, and to learn how to live in a world that had suddenly grown so much bigger. The Rowdies took on Amanda like one of their own, and she eventually came to become their leader. It was convenient that they could feed energy off her, while stopping her attacks, and letting her have visions of clues to guide them, as though her connection with them was meant to be, something Dirk never felt even while they were all together. Bart was the first to leave, saying she felt the pull and it was now too strong to ignore. They wished her well, knowing she would be safe, for the universe had always made it clear that she wasn’t to be harmed in any way. Dirk was next, a rebellion of sorts that led him all the way to the other side of the world in England, as though daring the universe to drag him around there as well, instead of leading him to Todd like it was supposed to be doing. And yes, the universe did drag him around there to do its bidding too, and still no Todd, much to Dirk’s annoyance. 

 

He returned to the United States ten whole years later, to a case too lucrative to ignore, millionaire Patrick Spring, and his very own murder. Amanda greeted him at the airport, now a dashing rebellious young lady who ruled over the world instead of letting it rule over her. He was older, more jackets in his possession, but still very much the same. Awkward, eccentric, and lonely. He met Farah Black on the Patrick Spring case, Patrick’s bodyguard, and they solved the case together, a host of time travel mania and excitement that resulted in him being shot with an electrified arrow, which thankfully malfunctioned at the last moment to save his life. Mr Riggins had showed up, much to his terror, but never provided an answer when he asked about Todd. Bart had shown up too, now partnered with a man named Ken, which made Dirk kind of jealous that even Bart found her own assistant when he couldn’t find his. Then he had been terrifyingly kidnapped, by the stupidest man he ever met too, and taken back to Black Wing. But still, no Todd. No one knew anything or weren’t willing to tell him anything whenever he asked. 

 

Next thing he knew had been pulled away in a swirl of water, back into the world, to a small tiny town called Burgsberg to be exact. Farah had officially joined them, and Amanda learned some nifty new tricks in Wendimoor to create portals in pools of water. Mr Priest had showed up too to terrify them but all was well at the end of the day. They saved Francis, got rid of Susie Boreton, and set everything back the way it was supposed to be. Unfortunately, there were a lot of gunshot wounds involved, and much healing to be done after, but he had mostly recovered and was wondering where to go while Farah was still recovering (or really, where the universe was going to take him) when Amanda had messaged, one short sentence that took his breath away.

“I’ve found Todd.”

Five hours later, he was at a rendezvous with the Rowdy 3 (now actually six people) in the middle of nowhere at a small town called Pine, inside a shocking motel named The Lovely People Inn. 

“In Wendimoor, when I was getting you to and back from Black Wing for Francis, I managed to get to the backstage of the universe, real trippy stuff. I saw it all there, Dirk, all the connections and people everywhere. It took me a while, but I figured out how to go back there, and I found him. It’s Todd. I know it’s him,” announced Amanda as soon as they had closed the door. 

“Really? You… you found him… oh my goodness Amanda… that’s… you found him?” asked Dirk incredulously, his thoughts running faster than ever before.

“Yes, I’ve found him, and I’m pretty sure I can get you there.”

“You found him!”

“Yes.”

“But, you found him!”

“I know!” cheered Amanda, jumping with excitement just as Dirk was. “We found him!”

“Okay, okay. We found him. Now what do I need to do?”

 

That’s how Dirk found himself once again standing over a swirling pool of water, ready to take another giant leap into the unknown. Except, unlike all the other times, this was a leap he had been waiting to take for the past 18 years. 

“Find him, tell him I love him, and bring him back to us,” were Amanda’s tearful instructions before she dipped her hands in to open the portal. “I trust you Dirk, if anyone can bring him back, it’s you.”

Dirk took a deep breath, a voice that was somehow familiar and reassuring, though unknown, whispering in his mind “Don’t spin out, you can do this.”

_ Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. _

Dirk groaned, picking himself up from the hard floor where he had landed, right beside the glistening crystal blue pool of water. The walls were familiar, but somehow different. Bland, like Black Wing, but older than he remembered. The lighting was dim, a slight tint of red causing an eerie glow. Cautiously, he felt his way around, heart beating loudly in his ears the whole way. Finding a door, he opened it, greet by a corridor, soft singing flowing through.

_ Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, a girl with kaleidoscope eyes. _

Dirk gulped at the familiar song, the somewhat familiar voice, only now deeper than he remembered. He followed the notes, the melody, purely on his own instinct. Down the hallway, one turn left, another three paces, then a right. 

_ Cellophane flowers of yellow and green, towering over your head. _

_ Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes, and she’s gone. _

This was it, his heart told him, stopping before a door, the singing inside now distinct enough for him to savour it, memories flooding back. Unconsciously, his hand started creating the shape of the bass guitar chords he had practiced over and over again in his youth.

_ Manda in the sky with diamonds. _

Dirk pushed on the door, surprised when it opened without any force. Wide bright familiar blue eyes greeted him. A similarly familiar face, still as youthful as the last time he remembered seeing it, only slight signs of aging showing, now more angular, more refined, lightly stubbled. 

“Hi,” he greeted, his voice shaking through all the emotions racing through. “I’m Dirk Gently,” he said, offering his hand, as his mother had taught him was the polite thing to do. 

“Hi, Dirk Gently,” was the whispered response, a tear falling, gliding down towards softly smiling lips. “Do you, by any chance, need an assistant?”


	4. Tag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning - this tag is a lead on to another fic I'm working on at the moment, so may feel unfinished. For a complete work without cliffhangers, don't read this part (think of it as like the Bart/Ken/Priest ending scene in Season 2). 
> 
> But I promise it's all leading somewhere...

“Todd, what is this place? Where are we?” asked Dirk, once he finally felt ready to pull away from the very long and very nice feeling hug they had both enveloped each other in. 

“Some top secret lair of Black Wing? I think we’re deep underground. They moved me here after I burnt down my room trying to escape for the twentieth time. They must’ve gotten tired of replacing my sheets.”

“You burnt down your room at Black Wing?” asked Dirk incredulously. 

“Yeah, well, I was young, and angry," Todd shrugged. "With you and Amanda gone, I just didn’t care anymore. And when I got a bit better at controlling my attacks, I was deemed top level dangerous and they moved me here. Wait, how did you get in here?”

“Oh, Amanda sent me here. She’s  _ fantastic, _ Todd, and very powerful. We were in a weird land called Wendimoor that Francis — that’s Project Moloch by the way — created, and there Amanda got this wand, and learned how to create portals in pools of water. She opened a portal from where we were to one of the pools outside.”

“Amanda… is… is she okay?”

“Yes, as I said, she’s fantastic! She lives with the Rowdy 3, they’re a whole family thing now, and there’s six of them. Except she does really miss you, Todd. We all do. We… we tried so hard to find you all these years… I even went to England and met Thor — you know, the god?”

Dirk cocked his head when he heard a swoosh noise coming from down the corridor, Todd quickly grabbing onto his arm and pulling him towards the wall.

“What was that?” asked Dirk quietly, taking in Todd’s widened panicked eyes.

“It’s the lift… that’s how they come in to check on me. It’s Mr Priest.”

Dirk instinctively glanced around, searching for a hiding place, finding none when all he could see was a ratty mattress and blanket on the bare floor. 

“Wait, the portal… Todd, we need to get to the pool.”

Todd nodded, his expression tense. He took Dirk by the arm, leading him out cautiously. Dirk felt his heart rate speed up at the faint but curt footsteps coming near. 

“This way,” Todd whispered, pulling Dirk along down different paths and corners. 

“So they just let you wander around here?” asked Dirk, glancing around curiously. 

“Since there’s no way to get out aside from through the lift, and that’s always guarded, they don’t really care,” said Todd, pulling Dirk around another corner.  

“This way,” he beckoned, ducking to crawl into a vent. “I get a lot of free time to explore when no one is here,” he smiled wryly. They crawled down a few more paces, until Todd finally pushed out a vent, turning back to face Dirk. “In here.”

Dirk followed Todd, crawling out of the vent to see they were in the room where he had come in, the crystal blue pool reflecting the eerie red tinted light.

“This pool, right? So… do we just jump in? Is… is that how it works?” asked Todd, glancing down at the water skeptically.

Dirk glanced down into the pool, frowning at the stillness. 

“No, this isn’t right. Usually it’s swirling when the portal is open-”

“Do we need to something to make it open?” asked Todd, gulping at the footsteps that were closing in. “Dirk!”

“I don’t know… something must’ve happened at the other end.”

“What’s happened? Is Amanda okay?”

“I don’t know, I’m here with you! We need to… oh dear… think Dirk…”

The door swished open, Dirk unconsciously backing away at the sight of the man who had haunted his nightmares for years even after he got out. He now possessed an eerie scar running down the middle of his face, and Dirk just knew he would be seeing that face in his nightmares for many more years to come after this - and that was if he even got out of this alive. 

“Well, what do we have here? Todd, you should’ve let me know we had a guest,” said Mr Priest, a grin on his face that made Dirk unconsciously shiver.

“Mr. Priest… it’s not what you think… he’s not really here… it’s not really...” stammered Todd, standing before Dirk, as though that could hide him.

Mr Priest simply tutted, as though reprimanding a child, then casually stepped around Todd, pushing him away easily to reach Dirk.

“Svlad, how very nice of you to join us.”

Dirk gulped, feeling paralysed facing the man, as though he were once again ten years old. Without warning, Mr Priest grabbed Dirk’s arm, twisting it painfully behind his back.

“My Priest, no!” shouted Todd, pacing forward to Dirk, but stopping abruptly when Priest glared at him and pull Dirk’s arm further, causing him to cry out. “Please, Mr Priest, don’t hurt him.”

“My my, you boys never change,” Priest tutted. “In position now, no one need to get hurt,” he ordered. Todd slowly bent down to his knees, and placed both his hands on his head. “Now, what should we do, Todd? Svlad here been very bad, causing me a lot of trouble. Maybe some punishment is in order, don’t you think?”

Todd shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. 

“No, Mr Priest, please don’t.”

“Look at you, with the crying again. You used to be fun, Todd,” teased Mr Priest, finally releasing his grip and pushing Dirk hard onto the ground. “Maybe Svlad will be more fun, I wonder if he screams as nicely as he used to?”

He kicked, and Dirk was unable to stop the yell through his clenched his teeth at the pain that exploded in his stomach where his boot landed. Another blow had him gasping, and yet another brought tears to his eyes. Dirk curled up instinctively, bracing himself for a fourth, only to slowly open his eyes when it didn’t land. Glancing up, he saw that Todd had leapt onto Priest’s back, struggling and dragging him away from Dirk. 

“Please, Mr Priest, stop, don’t hurt him, please,” he was pleading even as he struggled with the man.

“No, Todd,” Dirk managed to gasp out, only to wince when a clear snap sounded, followed immediately by Todd’s whimper of pain, the smaller man releasing Mr Priest to clutch at his broken finger. Mr Priest dropped Todd to the ground, heading towards Dirk again. 

“This is fun, boys,” he grinned, rearing up once more. Dirk felt sick at the rush of panic that engulfed him, but before any pain landed, Todd’s hand reached out again, this time clasping Priest by the ankle and pulling him back sharply. Mr Priest turned abruptly, landing a hard blow on Todd’s cheek, but Todd managed to wrap his arms around the man’s torso, still pulling him backwards away from Dirk. 

SPLASH.

Dirk quickly crawled towards the glowing swirling pool of water when Todd and Priest fell in, only to see the swirls disappear in a flash as soon as he dipped his hand in.

“Todd? Amanda?” he gasped, panic building when all he could hear was the sound of his own breathing.

“Bollocks,” he finally muttered, the only words that came to him as he sat by the eerie and still pool of water, all alone.


End file.
